Pre-schools Development:

The origins of saep's Crèche support programme In Philippi township

SAEP SUPPORT FOR
NONCEDO EDUCARE AND QHAMANI EDUCARE CENTRES

Noncedo Educare crèche is one of the many inspiring pre-school enterprises in Philippi. Nolithemba Bolisi and her five helpers feed and care for over 100 children every day, on less than most people would spend on food for a small family. They operate out of very cramped quarters, have virtually no equipment or facilities, and earn next to nothing. Yet their eyes light up when they talk about the children – it is for them and their future that the crèche has great dreams and plans. 

No child is turned away even if their parents cannot afford to pay the paltry R50 per month in fees. In fact they would rather have non-paying children in the crèche than know they are unsupervised at home, and at risk of being sexually abused or in danger of fire or other household or road accidents..  

In spite of the fact that Nolithemba has had to run Noncedo on a shoestring, in almost impossible conditions, she has dreams of a new crèche building with proper facilities and equipment, and better salaries for her staff. Noncedo has a large piece of land, and one playroom has already been built. However, another 2 play rooms, a kitchen, storeroom, office and toilets are still needed, as well as a garden and play equipment.

In response to a plea for help to SAEP, Jane Keen, a social worker, has been assisting Nolithemba to draw up a realistic budget for the new crèche and develop fund-raising proposals for the buildings and equipment. She has also recruited architecture students from the University of Cape Town to help design the new building.

Watch this space to see the crèche grow and to hear more about this inspiring project. If you would like to contribute to Noncedo or to assist in any way, please contact Nolithemba Bolisi at 021 371.7567 or Jane Keen at 021-685-3431.

Nolithemba Bolisi, Principal, and two of her pre-schoolers. In the background is Dr.Oscar Barbarin, Richardson Preyer Distinguished Professor at the Frank Porter Graham Institute for Early Childhood Development, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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The Qhamani Educare Centre is another good news story to come out of Philippi. Started by Nomsa Manxiwa-Nqweza in Village 4a, Qhamani crèche can accommodate over 60 children. Nomsa has done marvels with very little and it is a delight to visit her well-organised crèche. SAEP recently assisted Qhamani to reprint their business cards – a useful fund raising tool for distribution to visitors. During the recent Rhodes Scholars Reunion in Cape Town, SAEP took a group of foreign visitors to visit the creche. The next day two of the visitors donated 50 euros towards a new fence which was needed around the property. As in the case of Noncedo Educare, SAEP has been providing support in financial management, fundraising, and improvement of the physical facilities

 If you would like to help Qhamani Educare, contact Nomsa Manxiwa-Nqweza at 021 371.0804 or 082 668 8499.

In addition to working with the Noncedo and Qhamani Educare Centres, SAEP is also providing support for a larger group of eight creches in the Brown's Farm area of Philippi of which Noncedo and Qhamani are a part.  It is called the Safety and Unity Creche Forum. Here is a letter prepared by Jane Keen urging local support for the creches that are a part of the Forum:

APPEAL FOR CHILDREN’S CLOTHES, TOYS AND EQUIPMENT FOR CRECHES IN PHILIPPI 

"I don’t think most readers will have any idea how hard life is for young children out in the informal settlements of Cape Town. If they are lucky enough to find a place in a crèche, they will at least get 2 meals a day and good caring supervision, even if there is no running water, no grass to play on, and few toys to play with. Left at home they would be at very high risk of being neglected, abused or involved in accidents (in shack fires, run over by cars etc). 

I have been assisting a wonderful woman Nolithemba Bolisi, the principal of Noncedo Educare in Philippi, since the beginning of the year, with budgeting and  writing fund raising proposals. Her colleagues in the Safety and Unity Creche Forum  have recently also asked for assistance for the eight other centres in the area which are also struggling. These crèches care for between 45 and 200 children every week day, from as early as 6am (when the parents lucky enough to have jobs, leave home) until about 6pm (when the last children leave). Most of the parents are unemployed or earn very little, and many are supporting whole families on the child care grant of R160 per month. Many are therefore unable to pay even the very modest fees of around R50 per child per month. 

The women running these crèches have big hearts and do not turn away children whose parents cannot afford to pay. They know that even with the limited facilities they have, the children are better off than they would be at home. They dig deep into their own pockets every month when there is not enough money to buy food for the children, and have all sacrificed their own comfort in order to extend and improve their Educare premises. 

I am writing to appeal to readers to go through their cupboards and houses and to pass on any items which are no longer being used, to these crèches. The needs are for babies’ and children’s clothes, nappies, toys, educational equipment, books and puzzles, cots, small mattresses, blankets, small tables and chairs, etc (anything you would hope to find in a pre-school centre). There is also a need for washing machines (the staff have to wash out hundreds of nappies every day in cold water by hand, often carrying the water some distance because of a lack of running water), office furniture and equipment, and food for the children. Any donations which cannot be used directly, such as adults’ clothing, will be sold for funds. 

If anyone would like to give a financial contribution to one of the crèches, I will be happy to pass on the donation or to put you in touch directly. Volunteers are also needed to help with fund raising, training of staff, stimulation of the children etc, so if you have some time on your hands and would like to assist, please contact me.

The women running these crèches are an inspiration to us all in the new South Africa. They do not allow a lack of resources or other problems to stop them in working to achieve their dreams and are willing to sacrifice greatly to ensure that the children in their area are given the best they can give. Let us share what we have and no longer need to improve these children’s lives."